Toilet Training Step Ladder

ABSTRACT

A toilet-training step stool or ladder that may be positioned around a toilet allowing a child to climb up and use a standard toilet seat. The ladder is especially useful for assisting a small male child to position and steady themselves adjacent to and facing the front of the toilet bowl while in a standing position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a child toilet training ladder for assisting a child to use a standard toilet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a toilet-training step stool or ladder that may be positioned around a toilet which allows a child to climb up and use a standard toilet seat. The ladder is especially useful for assisting a small male child to position and steady themselves adjacent to and facing the front of the toilet bowl while in a standing position.

The ladder includes a frame for positioning adjacent a toilet with steps attached to the frame allowing a small child to climb the ladder and be at the correct elevation for using the toilet.

The frame includes a generally U-shaped frame member having first and second legs with free ends for placing on a floor and an upper horizontally extending frame segment extending between the first and second legs opposite the free ends thereof.

First and second elongated frame members pivotally attach to the first and second legs, respectively, of the U-shaped frame member at a location between the upper frame segment and the free ends of the first and second legs.

The ladder includes one or more steps which may fixedly or pivotally attach to and extend between the first and second elongated frame members, respectively.

The first and second frame members may be moved about their respective pivot connection to the U-shaped frame member allowing the ladder to be moved between a folded, storage condition and an unfolded, in-use condition. When in the storage condition, the first and second elongated frame members locate adjacent to the first and second legs of the U-shaped member, respectively, and the one or more steps pivot toward a vertical position. When in the in-use position, the first and second elongated legs extend at an angle relative to the first and second legs of the U-shaped member, respectively, thereby allowing the ladder to freely stand on a floor.

When moved to the in-use, unfolded condition, the first and second of legs of the U-shaped frame are positioned on either side of the toilet bowl and the horizontally extending middle extent of the U-shaped frame is positioned directly above the toilet bowl. A male child may therefore use the middle extent of the U-shaped frame as a handle to hold onto while urinating into the toilet bowl.

Additional objects, advantages and novel aspects of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will in part become apparent to those in the practice of the invention, when considered with the attached figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become apparent and be better understood by reference to the following description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet training ladder according to an embodiment of the invention with the ladder in the unfolded, in-use condition next to a toilet;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ladder of FIG. 1 showing the ladder folded into a storage position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, there is seen an embodiment of the present invention comprising provides a toilet-training step stool or ladder that may be positioned around a toilet which allows a child to climb up and use a standard toilet seat. The ladder is especially useful for assisting a small male child to position and steady themselves adjacent to and facing the front of the toilet bowl while in a standing position.

The ladder includes a frame for positioning adjacent a toilet with steps attached to the frame allowing a small child to climb the ladder and be at the correct elevation for using the toilet.

The frame includes a generally U-shaped frame member 1 having first and second legs 1 a and 1 b with free ends 1 a′ and 1 b′ for placing on a floor and an upper horizontally extending frame segment 1 c extending between the first and second legs 1 a and 1 b opposite the free ends 1 a′ and 1 b′ thereof, respectively.

First and second elongated frame members 2 a and 2 b pivotally attach via pivot connectors P1 and P2 to the first and second legs 1 a and 1 b, respectively, of the U-shaped frame member at a location between the upper frame segment 1 c and the free ends 1 a′ and 1 b′ of the first and second legs 1 a and 1 b, respectively.

The ladder includes one or more steps 3 a and 3 b which may fixedly or pivotally attach to and extend between the first and second elongated frame members 2 a and 2 b, respectively.

The first and second elongated frame members may be moved about their respective pivot connectors P1 and P2 to the U-shaped frame member allowing the ladder to be moved between a folded, storage condition and an unfolded, in-use condition. When in the storage condition, the first and second elongated frame members locate adjacent to the first and second legs of the U-shaped member, respectively, and the one or more steps pivot toward a vertical position. When in the in-use position, the first and second elongated legs extend at an angle relative to the first and second legs of the U-shaped member, respectively, thereby allowing the ladder to freely stand on a floor.

When moved to the in-use, unfolded condition, the first and second of legs of the U-shaped frame are positioned on either side of the toilet bowl and the horizontally extending middle extent of the U-shaped frame is positioned directly above the toilet bowl. A male child may therefore use the middle extent of the U-shaped frame as a handle to hold onto while urinating into the toilet bowl.

While the apparatus, methods and systems have been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims which follow. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toilet training step ladder adapted to be positioned around a toilet, the ladder comprising: a) a U-shaped frame member having first and second legs with respective free ends for placing on a floor and an upper horizontally extending frame segment extending between the first and second legs opposite the free ends thereof; b) first and second elongated frame members pivotally attached to the first and second legs, respectively, of the U-shaped frame member at a location between the upper frame segment and the free ends of the first and second legs; and c) one or more steps attached to and extending between the first and second elongated frame members, respectively.
 2. The toilet training step ladder according to claim 1 wherein said step ladder may be moved between a folded, storage condition wherein said first and second elongated frame members locate adjacent said first and second legs of said U-shaped member, and an unfolded, in-use condition wherein said first and second elongated frame members extend at an angle relative to said first and second legs of said U-shaped member and thereby allowing said step ladder to stand on a floor with said steps extending substantially horizontally.
 3. A method of toilet training utilizing a step ladder according to claim 2, said method comprising the steps of moving said step ladder to said unfolded condition with said first and second legs of said U-shaped frame positioned on either side of a toilet bowl and said upper horizontally extending frame segment of said U-shaped frame member positioned above the toilet bowl. 